Bad Judgment
by solaramber
Summary: Serena begins to drift farther and farther away from her friends and her normal lifestyle as a new enemy has a secret influence upon her. Disclaimer here since I forgot to put it in the first two chapters! I don't own SM...hope you enjoy! Please review.
1. Chapter 1

46

**Bad Judgment**

By:Amber Ramirez

One sunny day after Crossroads Junior High's last bell rang and the many students filled the quad to head home after a long day at school. Molly, a young junior high student at Crossroads Junior High with shoulder length red hair bound with a blue ribbon fastened to the top of her head and a fair complexion, stood idly by the gates with Melvin, her classmate with close cropped brown ratty hair and coke-bottle glasses, rambling on about the new amulet store he wanted to take her to.

Soon Molly saw Serena; her classmate with long blond hair bound on each side of her head in two buns, Amy, a friend of Serena's with blue shoulder length hair, and Lita, another of Serena's friends who had brown hair bound in a pony-tail with a green hair piece, walk out together. She grabbed Melvin's sleeve and pointed towards them. "Look, Melvin. Let's invite Serena and the others to come with us." Molly said happily. Melvin adjusted his coke-bottled glasses and ran a hand through his brown ratty hair.

"Sure, Molly! Then we can all explore the vast knowledge of the history and value each amulet holds in its own distinct-" But Melvin was interrupted.

"Uh, yeah. Sure, Melvin. Now let's catch 'em before they all leave." Molly said gesturing toward the girls as they were leaving the school grounds.

"Right." Melvin said as he and Molly began to make a dash for their friends.

Serena was walking alongside Amy and Lita heading for the arcade to hang out for a bit before heading home. When Molly came running up from behind and linked arms with her best friend. Serena smiled as she saw who it was. "Hey, where are you guys going in such a hurry?" Serena asked.

"We're going to this new charm and amulet store, everyone's been talkin' about." Molly said happily. "Wanna come?"

Serena's face lit up with joy. "Cool. I love charms and amulets. Sure, I'll join you guys. Hey, Lita, Amy do you guys want to come too? Come on," Serena begged. "It'll be fun." Amy nodded. And Lita gave her thumbs up in consent.

"Why not? It'll be cool to hang out for a bit." Lita said happily.

"Sure, I'd love to go. I can always study for the math finals later. It's still two months away. That's plenty of time to be prepared." Amy said with a smile.

"Yay! Let's go!" Serena said happily as she linked arms with Amy and Lita.

Then they all headed for the charm shop, as they talked casually amongst each other.

As they got there, they were very excited to see a big building with the words Charm 'n Amulets written in bright neon lights. Then they all went in chattering excitedly amongst each other. The person who owned the shop was an old bald man wearing a monk's outfit, but he seemed younger and friendlier than he looked. "Hello there ladies, welcome to my shop. Please, feel free to look around. Perhaps you'll find something you like... or perhaps something will find you." The man laughed as he walked back to his counter at the back of the shop.

So the girls split up and looked around the shop. And just as Serena was looking at some beautiful emerald charms, she happened to see the coolest looking bracelet she had ever laid eyes on. It was sitting neatly on the shelf, almost hidden by the charms, in a plastic clear box. It was as if someone was trying to hide it from anyone who glanced its way. But somehow Serena felt attracted to its beauty and uniqueness. So she picked up the box and began to examine it. It was made of beaten sterling silver and chased with gold and etched with fine enamel designs, dotted with many small gems and rubies with a few emeralds here and there. Then all of a sudden Serena felt like she just had to have it, but when she checked the box, she found no price tag. So she walked up to the old man and asked, "Um, excuse me, but where did you get this bracelet?"

The old man stroked his stubbly chin and thought. "Hmm, let's see now, I... Well, it came in this morning, with the weekly shipment." He said with a smile.

Serena paused for a moment and said, "Okay, how much is it?"

Then the old man looked carefully at the box then at Serena and saw how much she wanted it. "Hmm, for you, ten dollars. After all you are my first customer and it is my grand opening." The man said happily as he saw Serena's eyes light up with joy.

Serena yelled out for joy, and quickly handed him the money. Then the girls called her. "Come on, Serena. We're going now."

"Coming," Serena called as the old man gave her a receipt and offered her a bag to carry her bracelet in. She gladly took it and smiled. "Thank you!" Serena said as she headed out the door with her companions at her side.

"Thank you for coming ladies. Come back soon! There will be lots of discounts for my best customers!" The old man called as they walked out the door.

As they all went outside, Serena quickly took the box out of its bag and stuffed the bag into her school bag. Amy noticed Serena's new box that she held dearly in her hands. "Serena, what's that?" Amy said gesturing towards the box Serena held.

Serena smiled and said, "Oh, you mean this? It's a neat bracelet, I bought it at the amulet shop, and the old man sold it to me at a discount."

Lita over heard their conversation and looked closer at the bracelet. "That's cool, how much did you pay for it?" Lita said looking at the bracelet with interest.

Serena grinned mischievously. "Oh, just ten dollars. It was a complete steal!" Serena said.

"Aww, you're lucky. It was a steal. I should go there more often when I want something to show off to a hot guy..." Lita said as her thoughts trailed off and she was daydreaming about a really hot guy liking her for her cool looking amulets and charms. Her eyes were full of stars.

Serena waved her hand in front of Lita's face. "Lita... hello. Earth to Lita!" Serena said and Lita shook her head.

"What? Oh, sorry, guys. I sort of lost track of what I was saying." Lita apologized.

Then they all said their good-by's as they all headed home.

As soon as Serena got home, she went straight to her room, avoiding her mother and annoying little brother, and placed her new accessory on a shelf close to her bed. She threw her school bag in a corner of her room and changed out of her school uniform into a pink sleeve less shirt and a short blue-green skirt. Then she went downstairs for a snack.

After her snack Serena decided to take a nap. So she went up to her room and yawned as she slowly made her way to her room. When she returned to her room she walked over to her bed and yawned once more, but before she reached her bed she suddenly remembered about the bracelet she had bought. "Oh yeah, my new bracelet I bought today. I can't wait to try it on!" Serena said excitedly as she walked over to the shelf by her bed and obtained the box.

Then she sat on her bed and was examining the box trying to figure out how to open it. "Okay, now that I have it how do I open it?" Serena said as she tried to find a crease or crevice in the plastic box.

Luna, Serena's guardian cat with midnight black fur and a crescent moon bald spot upon her forehead and red eyes, squeezed her way through Serena's partially opened door and gingerly hopped onto the bed beside her curious about what Serena was doing. "Serena, what is in that box you have there?" Luna asked looking up at Serena inquisitively.

Serena looked down at Luna as if noticing her for the first time and looked back at the box. "It's a bracelet that I bought at an Amulet shop today. Uhh, but I'm not quite sure how to open the box. Can you help me, Luna?" Serena asked as she showed Luna the box.

Luna began to carefully examine the box "Hmm," Then Luna saw a little piece of tape on one side of the box. Then she found three more so she raised a paw and began to effortlessly cut off the pieces of tape.

Once she was done Serena was delighted and picked up the box. "Luna, you're a genius!" Serena said happily as Luna inclined her head in response. Then Serena opened the box and slowly reached inside to take out her bracelet.

Then she instantly noticed that it was very shiny, beautiful and it almost looked real, but Serena shook the thought from her head, but it wasn't because she got it at such a cheap price! So it wasn't worth much, but for some reason she still liked it. Then she gingerly opened the catch and slid it on.

It looked as if it would fit her right wrist loosely, but when she fastened on the catch, she was surprised that it fit her perfectly. And besides that she just loved how it looked on her. "Oh, it's so beautiful, Luna! I love it!" Serena said excitedly as she admired it. Then she thought about Darien. "Oh, I wonder what Darien will think about my new bracelet. I'll bet that he'll love it too!" Serena said as she decided to venture off to find Darien and as she did, she did not notice that the bracelet had gained a certain shine to it and looked shinier on her than it looked in the box.

Meanwhile deep under the earth where a demon world supposedly existed was a cave of many tunnels and landings. Inside lurked a sleeping demon that had finally awakened by a mystic aura of power that emanated from an ancient bracelet. He was a man that held the great power that demons feared. His name was, Lord Akio, a strapping young man who looked to about eighteen or so with short cropped black hair that hung over his eyes like bangs and he had green piercing eyes, he was also well-known demon for his incredible power and strength. Centuries ago when he ruled a planet/world of his own he flourished in his reign of power, but then he decided to invade other planets so his power would grow, so he began his reign of terror throughout the universe.

But one day after his reign was nearly absolute; he came across a peculiar planet which showed much promise for his collection. That planet was earth. When he tried to invade and claim it as his own, the forces of the moon retaliated along with the earth and he was driven off. But he would not retreat and as a result he was defeated once again, but vowed to exact his revenge upon both the moon and earth for their treachery. He vowed that he would eventually control their strongest and most powerful valued being and regain his rightful place as ruler of the cosmos. For his threats he received banishment and was imprisoned deep within the earth. But before his imprisonment, as an act of desperation he created a single bracelet holding tremendous power, and strength. In hopes that one day the being that possessed great power would on that day help him take over the earth whether they liked it or not.

The bracelet was designed to follow Akio's will and orders alone and force the wearer to do his bidding. And as long as the wearer wore the bracelet Akio would control them. Now that he has awakened he must search for his most prized possession. One of the many qualities the bracelet possesses is if the person wearing the bracelet holds the power he desires then the bracelet will stay attached and never come off.

Back at the streets of Tokyo, Serena finally spotted Darien, a young high school student at Azabu High with short cropped black hair that was fashioned in a cowlick with ocean blue eyes, and quickly met up with him. She instinctively linked arms with him and he smiled down at her. "Hey, Serena. What are you doing out so late?" Darien asked.

Serena looked up dreamily into his eyes and then looked away and blushed snuggling his arm. "Do you have to ask?" Serena said as she pulled his arm closer.

Darien smiled as Serena hugged his arm. "Well it must be important for you to go through all this trouble just to find me." Darien said looking at the top of her blonde buns.

Serena snuggled even closer. "I just wanted to spend some time with you, Darien. And... To see if you like..." Serena's voice trailed off as a crimson blush mottled her face.

And as they were walking Darien noticed that Serena had on a new bracelet. "Serena, that's a really nice bracelet you have on. You should wear it more often. It looks really great on you" Darien said smiling down at her.

Serena stopped walking and tugged on his sleeve. "Do you really think so?" She asked.

Darien looked at her with reassuring eyes. "Yeah, it's really beautiful, like you. And it makes you look cute." Darien said taking her hand that the bracelet was on and raising it so he could see it.

Serena's blush darkened and she grabbed Darien's arm again and leaned her head on his shoulder. "If you say so, Darien." Serena said as they began walking once more. Then she whispered something that Darien could not hear. "I will wear it just for you"

Soon they parted and headed home. As soon as Serena got home she ran straight to her room and threw herself onto her bed. She looked at her wonderful bracelet and quietly said to herself. "I'm never going to take off this bracelet,"

Then Sammy, Serena's little brother who had short brown scraggly hair and green eyes, burst in and saw her bracelet. "Hey, Serena. A cool bracelet like that doesn't belong with a ditz like you!" he yelled and then he ran out of the door way and into his own room.

Serena jumped out of her bed and shut her door. Then returned to her bed. "Oh, Sammy's going to pay. He just doesn't know true beauty when he sees it." She looked at her bracelet once more. "But Darien does." She giggled. "Darien said it looked beautiful and that it made me look cute..." Then she slowly fell asleep.

The next day Serena rushed over to Rei's temple as fast as she could. As soon as she got there, she noticed that Rei, her friend with raven-black hair and purple eyes, was the only one there. Rei turned to see Serena and glanced at her watch, Serena was ten minutes early. "Serena? What are you doing here? The meeting doesn't start for another ten minutes." Rei said.

Amy walked in with her textbooks clutched to her chest and noticed that Serena was there. "Serena? You managed to come early? That's a big improvement for you." Amy said with a smile.

Then Mina, Serena's friend who had long blond hair like Serena but wore it down so it reached her ankles and she had blue eyes, and Lita walked in together. Serena looked at them all as they marveled at the fact that she had come early for once. "Yeah, I guess I did come early for once." She giggled.

During the next few days the girls were starting to notice other things about Serena that didn't quite seem right. Somehow she had changed. She was almost always on time and when she wasn't she was very early. She wasn't as clumsy as before, in fact she was starting to act proper and sophisticated. She was actually getting good grades and they had to admit that Serena and good grades just don't mix. And another thing she was popular at school.

So the girls decided to meet up with her after school. Once she arrived she waved cheerfully. "Hi, how's it going guys? Oh, what did you want to talk to me about?" She asked.

The girls nudged Amy and she stepped forward. "Well Serena, we've noticed a few changes in you lately." She said calmly.

Serena's smile broadened. "Huh? Really? What?" She asked as she looked at them all with sparkling eyes.

Then Lita boldly stepped forward. "Well, for one thing you're always on time now, and that's just not like you" Lita said pointing at her wrist watch.

Serena looked taken aback. "What? Is it so wrong to be on time? I mean you guys always nagged me when I wasn't," Serena said recovering her smile.

Lita couldn't think of a witty comeback. "Well, I guess you could be right, but still..." Lita replied.

Now it was Mina's turn to step forward. "Yeah, and another thing, you're not clumsy anymore, now that's really strange." Mina said as she folded her arms across her chest and nodded.

Serena could hardly believe what was going on. "Are you implying that I'm some sort of a klutz or something?!" Serena said hotly.

They looked at each other then back at Serena and said, "Yes!"

Serena crossed her own arms across her chest and turned away from them angrily. "Well, I just don't want to be that way anymore." She retorted hotly.

Then Rei came into the conversation. "And to top it off you're getting good grades and you're even popular! Did I miss something?!" Rei said becoming over excited.

Serena whipped around and faced them all with an outraged look upon her face. "Well, you guys always told me I wouldn't pass if I didn't pick up my grades and I guess that since I started to really become a better student I started to make more friends." Serena said justly.

The girls looked at each other doubtfully. Then all of a sudden one of Rei's psychic senses began to act up. As she tried to focus, she began to sense evil among the girls.

Lita noticed that Rei was disturbed by something so she placed a comforting hand on Rei's shoulder. "Rei, can I talk to you for a minute?" She asked.

Rei snapped out of her trance and looked at Lita as if noticing her for the first time and nodded. "Yeah, sure Lita." She said as Lita turned and Rei began to follow.

The two girls walked out of earshot from the other girls. Lita stopped and faced Rei. "Rei, what's wrong? Do you sense something?" Lita asked looking deep into Rei's eyes.

Rei looked at Lita in surprise, but then her features softened as she sensed that the evil aura was not coming from Lita. She relaxed and decided to confide in her. "Yeah, I'm sensing some kind of evil aura and it's coming from one of the girls. I don't know who it is yet, but I'll find out. I know for sure it's not you and it isn't me. But it has to be Amy, Mina, or Serena. And there's a small chance that it might be all of them. But one of them is emitting an evil aura. Can you help me find out whom, Lita?" Rei asked.

Lita was shocked at first, but then she looked confident. "Yeah, I'll help. As soon as you find out let me know, but I can't believe it's one of them." Lita said as she looked sadly back at the girls who were chatting amongst themselves. After walking a bit the girls decided to go home and meet up later.

Meanwhile deep, deep under the earth, Lord Akio paced back and forth in his domain conjuring up the power that would release his warriors. He needed but a small amount to bring them forth from their eternal sleep. "I must summon them now if I am ever to get back what is rightfully mine. I will have to use what little power I have to awaken them." He said as he clenched his fists and tightened his muscles. A purple aura began to emanate from his body as he threw his arms skyward and released the energy he had gathered and gave a mighty yell as the power began to overwhelm him. Then he called upon his greatest and only warriors from their eternal sleep. "My faithful warriors! Come to my aid. Radimus! Kei! Touga! Takashi! Arise and live again!" The power rose upward to form a great cloud above him that separated into four cocoon shaped clouds that stood before him, swirling like tornados.

Lord Akio clenched his fists and the tornados stopped swirling. As he smiled his four warriors stepped forth from each cloud one by one. First Radimus, with his blonde shoulder length hair that hid his sea-green eyes that glittered in the dim light. He wore a black muscle shirt that complemented his slightly bulky figure and black matching pants with green boots. Second was Kei who had short cropped black hair and equally black eyes that glimmered a dark blue in the light. He wore a dark blue shirt that matched his eyes and matching pants with black boots. Third was Touga who had green hair that was cropped in the back and hung loose in the front which covered his hazel eyes that glimmered with malice. He wore a yellow shirt with black pants and yellow boots. Last was Takashi, the leader of the bunch, he was surprisingly taller than the rest and had much more bulk than his fellow warriors. He had stunning devil-red hair that hung loose over his shoulders and his eerie orange eyes that glinted yellow when hit by the light. He wore a purple muscle shirt that struggled against the bulge of his muscles and he wore black pants and dark purple boots. He also wore a black cape lined with red velvet.

Once they all had appeared Lord Akio's smile broadened. "Ah, my finest warriors. I've been expecting you Takashi. Now are you positive that you and your fellow warriors are fit for the job? I will have no mistakes, and above all _**no failures**_." Takashi nodded confidently. "If you succeed you shall become my fellow bounty hunters, am I clear? Most of your predecessors have lost their lives in my command and you are all that is left of my warriors-in-training."

Takashi bowed gracefully. "Crystal, my lord. My warriors and I will succeed. We never fail."

Lord Akio smiled at his confidence, but masked his face as Takashi rose. "I'm sure you won't, but I look forward to seeing your skill myself."

Takashi straightened. "You shall not be disappointed, my lord. And we look forward to becoming fellow bounty hunters." Takashi said as he smiled with beaming pride. And the warriors bowed respectfully.

Lord Akio inclined his head in response to their loyalty. "Good, now I have a simple task for you to complete for me." He said as his eyes narrowed in delight.

Takashi bowed low and looked up at Lord Akio with high esteem. "Anything, my lord." He said awaiting his master's request.

The corners of Lord Akio's lips twitched upward into a wicked smile. "I want you to seek out the chosen one who bears the sacred power of my bracelet, now go." He said with mirth.

The warriors all inclined their heads and walked proudly away, determined to complete their first important task.


	2. Chapter 2

Back in Tokyo near Crossroads, all five girls arrived and met up with each other in the shopping district between Fifth and Main Street. Rei and Lita had devised a plan together earlier that day on the phone. They would all break into groups one of three and one of two. Lita would stay with the girls for the first three times around the shopping district while Rei would have a chance to sense the evil aura from the individual she would be with, then Lita and Rei would meet up at the end to discuss the results of their plan.

They broke up into groups the first containing Lita, Mina, and Serena while the other contained Rei and Amy. They all went around the shopping district and as they walked Rei knew it wasn't Amy so they met up after the first fifteen minutes and switched. One group contained Lita, Amy, and Serena, while Rei and Mina made the other group. After a while Rei knew it couldn't be Mina, and then she was beginning to hope that she was wrong. They met up after the next ten minutes and switched again so one group contained Amy, Mina, and Lita while the other held Rei and Serena. As Rei and Serena were walking Rei didn't feel anything so she was relieved. But as Rei started to talk to Serena she began to receive some cold and eerie vibrations from Serena and wondered why she was feeling such strange sensations.

Rei decided to ignore them, because they weren't strong sensations. "Hey Serena, since the other girls aren't here, maybe we could talk about something." She said as casually as she could.

Serena turned to Rei and shot her a curious glance. "About what, Rei?" Serena asked.

As Rei turned towards Serena she noticed that Serena wasn't wearing her broach today. "Serena, why aren't you wearing your broach today?" She asked curiously.

Serena looked at Rei with an apologetic expression and shrugged. "Well, I left it at home. I guess I forgot it." She giggled.

Rei looked straight ahead and thought. _Hmm, maybe I feel like this because she's not wearing the crystal, and I guess I'm used to it. And since it's not around I feel different. _Rei shrugged her thoughts away and continued walking with Serena.

Unknown to Rei and Serena Takashi and his warriors were hiding behind some trees spying on all the people who passed by them looking for the one who held the bracelet they so desperately needed to find. Soon Serena and Rei walked by the trees where Takashi and his gang awaited. As they walked by Takashi instantly recognized the bracelet and nudged his fellow warriors into attention. "Fools! Look, there is the one we seek. Let's follow her and report back to Lord Akio after we're sure she's the one." Takashi hissed as he gestured towards Serena and Rei. They all nodded in agreement and kept a watchful eye on Serena.

Soon Rei and Serena met up with the girls and chatted happily amongst each other. Then they all began to walk home as noon began to set in. They had all split up, but Serena was not alone for she was walking with Lita. Soon Lita had come to where she had to go her separate way. "See ya tomorrow Serena," She said as she waved good-bye.

Serena waved back cheerfully and smiled. "Bye, Lita." She called as Lita walked out of sight. Then she was alone.

Takashi smiled with satisfaction and moved in closer with his warriors to follow Serena to get a better look at her. Soon Takashi noted that there was no one in sight and carefully moved closer and closer as they followed her. As they followed her they found that she was leading them to some strange apartments so they assumed that, that was where she lived. And they moved even closer, but she did not notice them. Once she reached into her bag for a key to unlock the door they moved even closer and still she did not notice them. Once she started to open the door they rushed her against the wall and covered her mouth to stifle her scream. Takashi stood before her with a triumphant smile, while the others held her fast against the wall. Then he grabbed hold of her wrist and was sure it was the bracelet he was looking for. "Yes... It's the one. She's the one...!" He whispered eagerly.

But before they could do any further inspection Darien opened the door and looked about curiously. "What's all that noise...?" He said then his eyes slid towards Serena and the four warriors that held her captive. He instinctively charged at them and knocked Takashi and Kei down. The remaining warriors Radimus and Touga charged at Darien engaging in battle.

Now that Serena was free she clicked open her communicator wrist watch and called the girls. "Guys, there's trouble down at Darien's place! We need scout power!" Serena said as she clicked her watch off and tried to figure out how she was going to help Darien.

As Darien struggled with Radimus and Touga, Takashi and Kei rose to their feet and watched as Darien fought. Then as they moved in to join their fellow warriors the scouts arrived. "Back off," They all cried in unison. "Creeps."

Serena let out a breath of relief. "Yes, go get 'em Sailor Scouts!" Serena said as the scouts showed themselves to the enemy.

As the scouts made their appearance two of the warriors, Touga and Kei caught Darien off guard and attacked him, but the scouts rushed to his rescue. Serena quickly rushed to help Darien while the scouts stood in front of them to guard them. Then Radimus, Touga and Kei stood facing them prepared to fight. But Takashi studied the situation and knew better. "Stop," His strong voice broke the silence between them and commanded their attention. "They are stronger than we expected. Come, we must inform our lord about them." He turned and faced the scouts. "We will be back. You can count on it." With that they all disappeared.

Soon the scouts remembered Serena and Darien and offered to help. But Darien rose to his feet and brushed himself off. "I'm fine, I'm just a little battered, that's all." Satisfied that Darien was okay, the scouts all left. Serena decided to leave as well, but Darien gently grabbed onto her arm as she turned to go. "Serena, wait."

Serena turned and faced him. "Huh? What's wrong?" She asked curiously.

Darien shook his head. "Nothing, I'm okay." Serena relaxed and sighed in relief. Darien let his hand fall from Serena's arm and looked her in the eyes. "Serena, who were those guys? Do you know them?" He asked.

Serena shook her head. "No. I haven't got a clue." She replied.

Darien rubbed his arm where the warriors had bruised it. "Then do you know what they were after?" he asked with curiosity.

Serena raised a hand to her chin as she thought and let it fall to her side as she thought she had the answer. "No, but they did seem interested in my new bracelet." Serena said as she looked at it and rubbed her wrist where Takashi had so roughly held it.

"Her bracelet..?" Darien muttered to himself.

"What?" Serena said.

Darien looked at Serena and saw that she was looking at him with concern. He waved her question away. "Oh, that's all I needed to know. I'll see you tomorrow." He said faking a smile.

Serena smiled happily. "Okay. See ya, Darien." Then she headed home.

Meanwhile Takashi and the three warriors returned to Lord Akio. As soon as Lord Akio arrived they all bowed down on one knee. Takashi then stepped forward with a determined look upon his face. Lord Akio looked him over carefully before speaking. "You're back so soon? Make your report; I've been waiting to know who has the great power I so very much desire."

Takashi smiled secretly and inclined his head. "My lord, we have identified your bracelet and its wearer. But as we were about to retrieve it, four female warriors very much like ourselves stopped us with their amazing powers before we could-"

But before he could finish Lord Akio cut in. "What?! Four female warriors and you could not subdue them to get the bracelet?" Akio cried out indignantly.

Takashi shrank from Akio's ravings, but slowly straightened. "But, my lord. They were incredibly strong and possessed amazing powers." Takashi said in his defense as the others nodded and murmured amongst themselves.

Lord Akio put a hand to his chin and stroked his smooth skin. "Amazing powers you say? What sort of powers do they possess?" He asked with interest.

Takashi stepped forward and thought back. "One possessed the power of fire; another had the power ice, and the other controlled thunder. The last possessed the power over a magical beam of some sort." Takashi said counting each power on his fingers.

"Hmm," Lord Akio mused softly. "They all possess a power of their own... Takashi, I'm glad you came straight to me. You have all proven your worth as skilled warriors. And now you will become true bounty hunters!" Lord Akio raised his hand and pointed a finger towards them all. Then he zapped all four warriors. As the air filled with smoke he stopped the beam. And out from the smoke stepped four bounty hunters. They all looked at themselves and felt stronger.

Lord Akio smiled in the dark. "I have made you stronger and your powers have greatly increased. Now, tell me about the one who possesses my bracelet." He said as he sat in a nearby stone chair.

In the heat of excitement Takashi did not take time to consider how outrageous his reply would sound. "The one who has your bracelet, my lord, is a human female." Takashi said feeling invigorated.

Lord Akio jumped up from his seat. "A _human female?!_ You can't be serious." Lord Akio said trying to stay in good humor.

Takashi took a deep breath realizing his mistake. "But, my lord, we _are_ serious." Takashi said trying to stand tall before Lord Akio.

Exasperated Lord Akio paced back and forth. "If you are serious, then she might be the one. If she had enough power to awaken me, then I want you to make sure she has the power I'm looking for. Attack her right out. She will be forced to use the power to save her life. Now go!" Lord Akio said facing them all.

With that they all dipped their knee and left to make sure Serena was the suitable owner of Lord Akio's bracelet.


	3. Chapter 3

(Sorry, this may be two chapter late...) Disclaimer, I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters, except the villains which are all mine, and the plot, but other than that, nothing is mine. I hope you all enjoy the story so far! And don't forget to review so I know if I should continue with this, but please take into consideration that this is my first ever fanfiction. Well, other than that shout out to my buddies, Tiffany Carpenter, and Steph B (since she doesn't like me to write her name), who are my fellow Sailor Moon fans, this one is for you guys!

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Anyways...on to the story!

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CH.3

That day the four bounty hunters soared through the sky looking down at every human they passed. They knew exactly who they were looking for; they all remembered the way she looked because they had attacked her once before. But there were some details about her that they did not remember. All they knew was that she had long blonde pig-tails and that she looked like she was around the ages of thirteen to fifteen. And they were pretty sure that she had four friends and that she probably lived at the apartment building they saw before.

Soon Takashi spotted the apartment building and signaled for the others to follow him down. They found a place in the bushes and waited for the girl to return. But she didn't. After ten minutes they were all getting restless so they decided to leave. So they decided to search on foot. And they spotted one of her friends so they assumed that maybe their target would be close by. So they followed Lita and found that they were right.

Lita waved at Serena. "Hey Serena, over here!" Lita called.

Serena ran up happily to her friend. "Hi, Lita! What are you doing?" Serena replied.

Lita shrugged. "Nothing much. Hey, how's Darien doing?" Lita asked.

Serena lifted her shoulders and let them fall. "He said he was fine, but... I really don't know. I hope he's okay. He probably would be better if he fought as Tuxedo Mask. But he really didn't have a lot of time." Serena said.

Lita saw how much her question had distressed Serena and tried to think of a way to cheer her up. "Uh, well you know Darien's a strong guy, Serena. He's okay, I'm sure of it. I bet if even he did have time to become Tuxedo Mask, he would have stayed as Darien to show off his strength." Lita said flexing her muscles.

Serena giggled, and smiled at Lita's attempt to cheer her up. "Thanks, Lita. I really appreciate your trying to cheer me up." Serena said.

Lita's shoulders sagged in defeat. "Am I that predictable? Sorry, Serena. I guess I'm not that good at this cheering up stuff." Lita said smiling nervously.

Serena shrugged. "No, but thanks for the thought. I know you meant well. I feel a little better." Lita smiled at this. "I guess I'll go home now, see ya." Serena said as she waved bye to her friend.

Takashi and the others kept a close watch on Serena as she made her way home. As she went inside they watched eagerly. Now they knew where she lived and what her name was, now all they had to do was find out how strong she was.

As soon as they saw her mother and Sammy leave the house they watched until they were well out of sight. Then Takashi and his fellow warriors descended down to the ground and examined Serena's home. As they were examining the perimeter, they found an open window on the second floor. So they floated up to it and peeked inside and saw Serena just leaving the room. And as soon as she was gone they all climbed through the window and into her room. They hid behind the door and waited eagerly for her return.

Soon Serena returned and when she opened the door, all four bounty hunters grabbed her and threw her on the floor far from the door. Kei guarded the door while Takashi, Touga and Radimus stood arm's length from Serena who had risen to her feet.

"You guys are really going to pay this time..." Serena muttered clenching her broach in her fist. Just as they were about to come any closer Serena held up her brooch and prepared to transform "MOON-", but Takashi knocked it out of her hands sending it crashing to the floor and it slid under her bed out of her reach. Serena shrieked knowing that she was done for.

Out side of Serena's house, Darien was out on his afternoon jog and as he passed it by he heard a scream come from the house. Concerned he ran straight to Serena's front door, found the spare key they keep under the mat to unlock the door and ran inside. From inside he heard noises coming from upstairs so he ran upstairs and rammed into Serena's bedroom door knocking over Kei. Then he saw Serena being held up against the wall by the same guys from earlier that day and became enraged. "Who are you? What are you doing here?" Darien exclaimed.

Takashi sneered in his direction and tossed his head arrogantly. "This is none of your business, so I suggest you leave," Takashi said turning his back to Darien.

Serena struggled under her captors grip and saw Darien. "Darien, go!" Serena cried helplessly.

Darien's fury increased. "Get away from Serena!" Darien yelled. His fists clenched tight, his knuckles turning white. Then he charged forward and knocked Takashi to the ground.

Then Kei jumped on Darien's back and Radimus punched Darien in the stomach. Darien managed to throw Kei off his back, but Takashi got up and zapped Darien. Then as Darien fell to the ground Takashi walked over to Serena. "Well...? Fight! Come on, use your powers!" He taunted.

But Serena did nothing. Takashi walked a few feet away from her and turned to face her once more raising his right hand towards her. "If you have no power, then I have no use for you!" Then he released a powerful beam, but Darien pushed Serena out of the way and took the hit instead. The blast had grazed his shoulder and he clutched it as he fell to the ground.

"Darien! No!" Serena said as she rushed to his side. Darien looked up at Serena and smiled weakly before he passed out.

Then something in her mind snapped and she stood up, lifting her right hand which held the bracelet. The bracelet began to glow and Takashi and the three bounty hunters stared at her in amazement. "What power! I can feel the energy welling up within her. She _is_ the one!" He said excitedly.

Then a beam shot out of the bracelet and hit all four of the bounty hunters sending them crashing up against the wall. Injured they all retreated and her energy spent Serena fainted.

Fifteen minutes later, Serena woke up and saw Darien lying on the ground and remembered that the four guys attacked and blasted him. She crawled beside him still weak. She couldn't remember how or why the warriors left, but that didn't matter. What mattered right now was Darien. Serena nudged him and he woke up. She rose slowly to her feet and looked at her room; it was a complete mess as always. Darien tried to stand, but fell back on the ground. Serena helped him up, but said nothing. She knew he was hurt and didn't want bother him with her silly concerns. He was silent as well because he didn't understand why this new enemy had appeared or what they sought from Serena. Darien put his arm around Serena's shoulders and leaned on her for support.

She led him to his apartment and into his room where she carefully sat him on his bed and bandaged his injuries. He lied down and Serena covered him with a warm blanket and pulled up a chair and sat at his side. She watched silently as he slowly fell asleep. As he slept Serena still worried about him. _Darien looks so peaceful in his sleep. He suffers so much for me... should I leave him for his sake?_ She thought miserably. As soon as she felt he would be all right on his own, she crept out of his room and headed home.

Meanwhile back at Lord Akio's base the four bounty hunters returned. They were injured and exhausted. Lord Akio appeared and smiled at the sight of them. "Well, what happened? Did she prove worthy? Tell me." He said eagerly.

Takashi slowly stepped forward and bowed on one knee, as the others assumed their positions. "Well, to be perfectly honest, her power is one that shines from within. She doesn't show it, though when in danger her power and strength thrive to protect her. She is more than worthy and if you push her too far her power may prove to be invincible, my lord!" Takashi said excitedly.

Lord Akio put a hand to his chin. "Invincible, eh?" He mused. "I like the sound of that. I will make the necessary preparations, now in order to create the perfect plan I must know how strong those prissy little Sailor losers are. Now Takashi, you must test the Sailor scout's strength, this is very important. This is a delicate procedure and _nothing _must go wrong. I must make a fool proof plan, now go." Lord Akio said waving them away.

Takashi rose to his feet and inclined his head. "We shall not fail you, my lord." Then all four bounty hunters took their leave and disappeared.

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Thanks so far to those of you who are reviewing, I really appreciate it. Well, there goes chapter 3. Please read and review. 


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer, I don't own Sailor Moon. I suppose that's about it, so enjoy, and don't forget to review. Shout out again to my fellow Sailor Moon fans, you know who you are. .

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Now on with the story...

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The next morning Serena woke up bright and early, got ready and called Darien. Once he answered Serena as overjoyed to hear his voice. "Hi, Darien!" Serena said happily.

Darien chuckled on the other end and smiled though Serena could not see him. "Hi, Serena. How are you doing?" Was his kind reply.

Serena became serious as she remembered yesterday's fight. "Oh, I'm fine and you? Are you okay?" She asked cautiously.

Darien let out a breath and laughed. "Yeah, I'm feeling much better now and it's all thanks to you, Serena." Darien said lovingly.

Serena blushed to the roots of her hair, flustered by his sincere appreciation for her help. "I'm glad I could help you, Darien." Serena said shyly.

Darien heard the tone of her voice and his smile broadened. "You shouldn't be so modest. But since you helped me out I'll meet you later at the arcade, okay?" He said warmly.

Serena's mood quickly changed from overly concerned to joyous and care-free. "Sure, then we can talk more about how you're doing." Serena said happily.

Darien chuckled at the excitement in her voice. "Can't wait." He replied and they both hung up.

Serena quickly ran downstairs in a flash and ate breakfast, grabbed her shoes and yelled, "I'll see ya later, Mom!"

Her mother looked around the doorway of the kitchen and waved happily at Serena. "Bye, sweetie!"

Then Serena closed the door behind her and went straight to the arcade.

As soon as Serena walked into the arcade she saw Darien walking to the counter in the back. He had just gotten there. Serena came up from behind and surprised him. "Hi, Darien!"

Darien turned around startled then smiled. "I'm surprised to see you here so early, Serena. I just got here myself and wasn't expecting you for at least another twenty minutes." Darien said pointing to his Rolex wrist watch on his left wrist.

Serena hugged Darien's arm and nestled her head against his uninjured shoulder. "I'll do anything for you, Darien." Serena said affectionately.

Darien smiled warmly down at her. "I would too." He said lovingly.

Serena looked up at him adoringly. "Oh Darien, you're so sweet." As she looked up into his face she saw that he looked a bit pale. "Are you sure you're feeling well? You look a little pale." Serena said concerned.

Darien smiled nervously and scratched his head. "I'm fine. I feel great, really. I'm okay."

Serena looked up at him suspiciously but seemed content with his answer. "Okay, if you say so. I believe you, Darien." Serena said calmly.

Darien's warm smile returned. "Let's go. I'll buy you a triple hot fudge Sunday." Darien said happily.

Serena brightened at his words. "Mmm, yummy. But what for?" Serena asked curiously.

Darien looked at her with smiling eyes. "Because you've been such a big help and you took care of me. So I decided to do something for you." Darien said happily.

Serena snuggled Darien's arm shyly with her eyes downcast. "You don't have to do that for me, Darien." Serena said softly so Darien had to strain to hear.

"What? Why not?" He asked as he looked down at her curiously.

Serena slowly shook her head and hugged his arm a little tighter. "Just seeing you doing well and spending time with you is good enough for me." Serena said slightly blushing at her own words.

Darien nodded in agreement. "Okay. But at least let me take you for a walk in the park." He pleaded.

Serena brightened and looked up gleefully into his face. "Okay! What are we waiting for?" She said excitedly as she pulled him forward and they both left the arcade.

Meanwhile the four bounty hunters were cooking up a plan on how to lure the Sailor Scouts out into the open so they could test their strength and ability. Soon they had thought up the perfect plan and needed a public place to execute it.

They figured that since the Sailor Scouts protect the people here, they needed a place with lots of people to better their chances to lure the Scouts out of hiding. They had been scouring the city all night and morning and found that the best place to unleash their plan would be the local park. As soon as the four bounty hunters reached the park they watched all the people and how peaceful they looked.

Disgusted at such a sight, Takashi shot a beam at a nearby tree and set the plan in motion and the people running. As the people panicked Takashi, Radimus, Kei and Touga stepped forward revealing themselves and went to block all the exits while terrorizing people.

Darien and Serena saw the commotion and prepared to take action. While Darien transformed into Tuxedo Mask, Serena clicked open her communicator watch and called the girls. "Girls, come quickly. We have some trouble down at the park. Those creeps are back. Darien and I will hold them off until you get here." Serena said running with Darien to find a hiding place for her to transform.

"Right, we'll be there." They all said in unison. Then Serena closed the watch and transformed into Sailor Moon.

As Takashi laughed wickedly while blasting down trees, a voice came from behind him and called. "Stop right there!" He spun on his heels and saw the Sailor Scouts, but there were five of them now accompanied by a young man in a tuxedo and a mask.

But it mattered not to him. An evil smile crept across his face as he spoke. "Oh, it's you prissy little Sailor saps again. We've come back like I promised and this time we won't give up so easily."

Seeing only him without his comrades gave Sailor Moon a sense of reassurance. "We? There's only one of you, pal." Sailor Moon remarked arrogantly.

Takashi laughed silently to himself and looked at the Sailor Soldiers mischievously spreading out his arms. "Oh, but that's not entirely true. Meet my fellow bounty hunters." As soon as Takashi had said that the other three bounty hunters mysteriously stepped out from behind him. The Sailor Scouts stared in bewilderment. And Takashi smiled at their ignorance. "Introduce yourselves, boys. It seems that these lovely ladies are just _dying_ to meet us." He chuckled.

A young man with blond shoulder length hair and sea-green eyes stepped forward and bowed. "I am Radimus."

The next man that came forward had short cropped black hair and black eyes smiled as he bowed. "I am known as Kei."

The third man brushed away his green hair that hung loosely over his hazel eyes and bowed. "I'm Touga."

Last but not least was their leader. He was much taller and thickly built with his bulging muscles. He had red hair that tumbled over his shoulders as he quickly bowed and rose with his men pushing back his black cape, which looked very much Tuxedo Mask's, looking at the scouts with his orange eyes and smiling. "And I'm the leader of my lord's warriors. My name is Takashi."

The three bounty hunters stepped back as Takashi took another step forward showing his rank and authority. The scouts noticed that they had all grown bulkier and taller from their last encounter. "Now aren't you girls lucky, you're our target. Now just relax, we're only here to throttle you. If you stay still, I promise we'll make it quick and painless. Or we can do this the hard way. It's your call girls. Choose quickly, I'm a very busy man, you see." Takashi taunted.

Jupiter became enraged at his little games. "Throttle us? You obviously don't know who you're dealing with. You're the ones who are going to be throttled!" She said as she jumped forward. "**Jupiter Thunder Clash!**" She cried as the flashing power of her thunder bolt raced at the four bounty hunters.

As it drew nearer the clever bounty hunters dodged her attack and landed effortlessly on the ground. Takashi chuckled aloud and put a hand on his hip. "Now, is that any way to treat a guest? I think we need to teach you some manners!" And with that Takashi spread out his legs and arms and clenched his fists. "**Rock Cave In!**" He yelled as the ground underneath Jupiter began to shake violently. Then countless rocks shot up from the ground around her. As she was being attacked Takashi knelt on the ground and placed his right palm flat upon the ground and from his hand shot lightening that traveled through the ground and shocked Jupiter.

The scouts watched in fascinating horror. "Jupiter!" They all yelled worried. They rushed to help and Venus, enraged, attacked. "**Venus Love Chain Encircle!**" She cried as her attack shot forward hitting Takashi and sending him crashing to the ground.

Takashi rose from the ground injured and brushed himself off. He was furious that a mere girl could injure him with such an attack, but he struggled to keep his cool by using the exact same attack on Venus.

As Venus fell to the ground Mars and Mercury both double teamed and attacked all four bounty hunters with, "**Mars Fire Ignite!**" And, "**Mercury Bubbles Blast!**" Injuring them all.

Furious Kei, Touga and Radimus charged in blind fury, knocking Mars and Mercury to the ground. Sailor Moon became enraged, and as her anger mounted, her bracelet began to glow. Takashi blasted Tuxedo Mask when he tried to help the Sailor Scouts and fell trying. All the Scouts were down, suddenly it was more than Sailor Moon could handle and the bracelet shone sending out a tremendous blast of energy that hit all four bounty hunters and sent them flying to the ground. Her energy spent Sailor Moon fainted.

The four bounty hunters retreated back to Lord Akio. Takashi could barley stand on his own and dropped to his knees before Lord Akio. "Well?" Lord Akio said heatedly. "What happened?"

Takashi took a deep breath trying to keep himself steady. "They were worthy adversaries, but there are now five of them." Takashi said licking his dry lips nervously.

"What?!" Lord Akio exclaimed. "I thought you said there were only four of them!"

Takashi flinched under the pressure of his master's fury. "I know... I beg your pardon, my lord. But another one appeared alongside the other four. She is called Sailor Moon and she seems to be far stronger than the others." Takashi said timidly.

Lord Akio looked thoughtfully at the bounty hunters. "Hmm, stronger, eh?" He mused. Then an evil smile crept across his lips. "Good work, Takashi. You've just given me the key to a new plan!" Akio said triumphantly.

Takashi's face lit up at his redemption. "I-I'm glad to be of service, my lord." He stammered.

Lord Akio became tired of their presence. "Yes, I know. Now leave me. I have a lot of thinking to do." Akio said as he waved them away.

Takashi bowed along with his comrades and disappeared into the shadows.

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Chapter 4 is finally done! sigh But at least there was some action here, eh? It might be a while before I update again so please read and review so I know what you guys think! Unitl next time. 


	5. Chapter 5

19

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Disclaimers, I don't own Sailor Moon...but I really wish I did, oh well. Here's the next chapter, hope you like it please read and review, after this chapter, I won't be updating for a while, my brain is fried and besides I have to get to studying...That's ok, though, it'll give me some time to come up with some more great stuff, right? Enjoy!

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Back in Tokyo in the Tsukino residence Serena was still unconscious, but soon came to. She slowly opened her eyes and saw Rei, Amy, Mina, Lita and Darien looking down at her with worried expressions. Serena quickly sat up, but as she did she felt a searing pain shoot through her body so she fell back down and looked beseechingly up at her friends. "What happened?" She asked as they rose but then sat down again.

Mina looked at her curiously. "You tell us." She said plainly.

Serena looked at her in a puzzled way and calmed herself. "What are you-What do you mean?" Serena stammered.

Amy leaned forward just a bit to put a cool hand on Serena's forehead. "Well Serena, we were all knocked senseless and when we awoke we found that the enemy had fled and you were unconscious." Amy said simply.

Serena looked at Amy in disbelief. "What?" She said dumbfounded.

Lita decided to ask Serena. "Serena, do you remember what happened? How did the enemy leave? And who or what made them decide to go away?" Lita asked.

Serena put a hand to her head and slightly shook it. "I don't know... I just don't know. No matter how hard I try to I, I just can't remember." Serena said with a little panic in her voice.

Darien leaned forward, pulled Serena to his chest and into his embrace. "Its okay, Serena. It's not your fault. It's okay if you don't remember. We don't remember that much about the battle either and I guess we're a little edgy. Don't worry about it." Then Darien released her. "You should get some rest. You were hurt pretty badly."

Serena nodded. "Okay, Darien." She said softly.

Then Darien turned to the girls with a solemn look upon his face. "We should leave. Serena needs her rest."

The girls all agreed and said bye to Serena on their way out. Darien was the last to go and before he left he turned at the door. "I hope you feel better tomorrow Serena. And if you remember anything be sure to call me, okay?" Darien said looking at Serena with concern.

Serena blushed at his concern for her. "I will and thank you."

Darien smiled at last and relaxed. "You're welcome, Serena." And with that he left.

Serena felt at ease and slowly dozed off.

The next morning Serena felt much better. She got out of bed, got dressed and left the house. She decided to walk around the shopping district to find her friends.

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Meanwhile back in the demon world, Lord Akio had noticed that if Serena was the one he needed, then he would have to be sure that he could be able to make her join his side, which meant he would have to deal with everyone close to her so they could not interfere in his plans. He paced back and forth until he had thought up the perfect way. "I know. I'll simply convince her to avoid them. I will find a way into her heart and lead her astray. It's perfect!" Akio said quite pleased with himself. "Then when she least expects it I will use the power my bracelet and she will be under my control. By then it will be far too late for anyone to interfere. I should send the boys to keep a close watch on her and report back to me about all her loved ones. It must all fall into place perfectly." Akio said thinking hard about all the possibilities.

He paced until he had thought it through and called for his bounty hunters. They did not hesitate to arrive and were at his feet when he turned around. "I want you to find all of... all of..." Akio began.

Takashi stepped forward. "The girl is called Serena, my lord." He said trying to be helpful.

"Yes Serena. Thank you Takashi." Takashi inclined his head. "I want you to watch her and find out who all her loved are and report back to me on your progress. It's very important that no one is left out. I want to know who her friends are, her family, and if she has a lover, I want to know everything. Do you understand?" Akio said trying to make his orders precise.

They all bowed in turn. "Yes, my lord." They all said in unison and disappeared.

Akio turned and smiled wickedly. "So Serena, the time is nearing for you to join me. You and your precious powers will belong to me alone. I will have my revenge after all..! And I can't wait for that to happen." Akio said eagerly and let his horrid laughter ring out through the depths of the demon world.

Back in Tokyo the four bounty hunters caught sight of Serena and followed her to find that she had four very important friends who meant a lot to her. As they continued to follow, they found that she had a boyfriend who meant the world to her. They already knew that she had a mother, father and a little brother, but she cared more for her friends than for her family.

Then as their search neared completion they returned to Lord Akio. Takashi bowed before Akio and made his report. "There are three members in her family, a mother, father and younger brother. She also has four best friends if my memory serves me right. And she has a lover whom she adores. That is all we could find out about her, my lord."

Akio smiled and laughed triumphantly.

The very next day Akio ascended to earth in the guise of a really hot high school student. He dressed accordingly as his warriors' information presented. There was no way he could go wrong. With all the information his warriors had gathered he managed to find Serena's house but wasn't sure if she was there or if she was alone. He teleported into the sky and peered into each of the windows with his special sight and was glad when he found that Serena was alone in her room taking a nap. With his powers he sent a small orb of energy into her window and into the bracelet. "Excellent," He grinned as his plan was working. The bracelet glowed and with his power he created a vision in her mind.

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Serena was lost in a dark void of nothingness. There was a thick mist that hovered above the ground and stopped at her thighs. In her dream the bracelet was the only light she had and it spoke to her. "Serena..." It called.

Serena swung around frightened and looked for the voice. "Who's there?" She called into the darkness.

"Serena..." It called again. Serena began to sweat. "Do not be afraid of me. I am here to warn you, to protect you." The voice echoed.

"Where are you?" Serena called frantically running in whatever direction she could think of to get away from the voice. "Who are you?!" She exclaimed.

The bracelet's light intensified and forced Serena to look down at it. "It's only me, Serena." It said more clearly.

Serena stared at the bracelet in wonderment. "What?! You can-My bracelet can talk?!" Serena exclaimed confused and shocked.

The bracelet's glow softened. "I am your soul protector and I am here to warn you, Serena. Your friends are going to betray you. You mustn't continue to be close to them or you'll hurt them before they hurt you." Serena's eyes widened. "Tragedies lie ahead for you, my dear."

Serena looked taken aback. "What, but I don't understand! Why are you saying this, you're lying!" Serena cried into the endless void.

"I know it will be very difficult for you, but you must keep your distance from them or terrible things will happen. You must believe me; I'm telling you this for your own good. Forces stronger than love or friendship will turn you against each other and they will covet your precious crystal, you must stay away from them and they will respect you when you are stronger and you will be united. But if you stay with them you will grow weak and they will not survive." The bracelet echoed.

Then the bracelet shone brightly and almost blinded Serena but she shielded her eyes with her arms. When she lowered her arms she saw Darien and the others waiting for her. She called out to them and they beckoned her to come. She ran towards Darien and he welcomed her with outstretched arms, she hugged Darien but as she did he disappeared. She slowly backed away from where he stood and turned to the scouts but they also began to disappear before her very eyes and she was alone.

As she hugged her body a sound of church bells rang and she turned to see graves lined at her feet. She dared to go look at the inscription and was horrified when she read what it said.

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She screamed and woke up in a fright, panting and covered with sweat. "What a crazy nightmare," Serena said as she raised a hand to her head.

"You must stay away from them, you must believe me..." The voice echoed in her head. She looked at her bracelet and it shone and dimmed. She gasped. "I guess it wasn't a dream after all. Oh no, then that means I can't stay or be with them any more." She shuddered as she thought of what might happen. "They won't survive." She repeated and shut her eyes against the tears that were welling up within.

She hugged her blanket and tried to think. "How am I going to avoid them? How can I make them understand that this is for our own good? They won't believe me and the warning will be for nothing." She bit her lip as she tried to think of a solution. "I'll just have to make them hate me. That's the only way they'll stay away from me, but they will live. Oh, how am I going to do this?" She sobbed. "Either way I'll be left alone. But I have to do this. As long as they survive I can get through this. I can't risk their lives so I guess that this is the only way. But how am I going to be able to stay away from Darien? I love him so much, I will have to make it seem like I've moved on and just hope he can forgive me." She said as tears fell from her eyes. "I'm so sorry, Darien. But you must live."

Serena ran down stairs, slipped on her shoes and left the house with a heavy heart.

Lord Akio smiled at his accomplishment. "It worked, now all I have to do is try to trick the little fool into becoming my... What was the word? Oh yes, my girlfriend and then as soon as her heart is in my hands I will have complete access to her power." He laughed and returned to the demon world.

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Back in Tokyo Serena was walking off her troubles when Darien spotted her and called out to her. "Hey, Serena," He said as he made his towards her. "You're looking a lot better today. How do you feel?" He asked kindly.

Serena fumbled for the right words and couldn't meet his eyes. "Yeah, I'm feeling okay, Darien. But I have something that I... I have to tell you." She managed at last.

Darien shrugged lightly and smiled. "Sure, Serena, fire away." He said teasingly.

Serena hesitated for a moment but then summoned up her courage. "Darien I-I don't think we should see each other anymore..." She said in a tumble of words.

Darien's expression quickly changed form cheerful to quizzical. "What, but why? What's wrong, Serena?" He asked concerned. He wanted to know why.

Serena clenched her fists tight so that her knuckles turned white. "I just think that we shouldn't see each other that often. It would be better for both of us if we took a break."

Darien misuderstood Serena. "Huh, that's okay, I can still see you after school and I could walk you home everyday and-" But Darien was interrupted.

Serena shook her head so violently that her hair swished back and forth in her face. "You just don't get it!" She exclaimed.

Darien's face grew solemn. "What then? What are you trying to say?" He asked looking at her with his piercing ocean blue eyes.

Serena clenched her fists even tighter until they felt as if they were going to bleed. "Darien, it's over between me and you! I just can't see you anymore! It's over!" And with that she ran from him as fast as she could with tears streaming from her eyes. As she ran her thought caught up with her. _Now maybe Darien will be better off without me, at least he'll still live._ She thought miserably as she ran all the way home and into her room.

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Meanwhile Darien stood shocked by Serena's harsh words and couldn't believe she meant what she said. "Why? Why did she say that it was over between us?" He asked himself as his heart felt torn to pieces. "Oh, Serena, what's happened to you?" He said as he looked sadly up into the sky.

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There it is ladies and gentlemen, Chapter 5! What do you think so far? Things have gotten a little out of hand, will this warning be enough to keep Serena away from her loved ones? What will Akio's next move be? Find out next time, whenever that may be, but first please read and review. 


	6. Chapter 6

12

Hey guys! I decided to write some more anyways since I had a few more reviews and I just didn't want to wait too long to update. Thanks for the reviews, guys, you inspire me to keep writing. Shout out to all you Sailor Moon fans out there! And of course my best buddies, you know who you are. wink

Enjoy!

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Back in the demon world Lord Akio was very proud of his plan and how well it was all going. Now he had a chance to win Serena over and get the power he's been waiting all his life to gain. She was completely vulnerable in her weakened state. Humans did tend to be emotionally unstable and this one was going to be extremely easy to manipulate. All he needed to do was smother her with the petty human emotions called 'love' and 'affection' and she would be his to control. He laughed maniacally as he envisioned how it would all be.

He would go to earth and Serena would be down and all alone. He would casually walk up to her and flatter her with how beautiful she was and she would fall for his petty tricks and fall head over heels in love with him since she would have no one else she could really turn to. He would string her along until she couldn't stand to be without him. Then when the time was right he would activate the great power that lay dormant within her and she would be his loyal pawn to control.

"Yes, that is how it shall be..." He said as laughter rang throughout the demon world.

* * *

Back in Tokyo Rei and the other girls were waiting patiently for Serena to arrive. After a while Rei began to become impatient with waiting for Serena. She tapped her foot and gave a frustrated sigh. "Well, I guess it's safe to say that Serena has reverted back to her normal klutzy self; she's 15 minutes late." Rei said sarcastically.

Lita shrugged. "I knew it was too good to last," Lita said as she sighed as well.

Another 20 minutes passed. And Amy began to feel a little uneasy. "Guys, I'm worried, Serena isn't usually this late. Even for her this is a little strange." Amy said lifting a hand to her chin.

Mina sat forward and joined the conversation. "Yeah, even Serena has a sense of time; she should've been here by now."

"That Serena," Luna grumbled under her breath as her head lay in her soft paws. Then Luna's head went up and her ears shot forward. "I bet she forgot to come at all."

Rei tossed her hair over her shoulder in a careless fashion. "Yeah, that ditz always has trouble remembering these things. I'm surprised that she still knows her own name." Rei said icily.

Amy waved away Rei's hurtful comments. "Take it easy, Rei. Serena just has a slow mind; it's not entirely her fault, that's just the way she is." Amy said coming to Serena's defense.

Lita waved her finger in the air to make a point. "Yeah, Amy's right. Serena can't help but be herself. Sure it was great while she tried to be like us, but I guess she just needed to go back to being the Serena we all know and love."

Mina turned to Luna. "Hey Luna, why don't you go get Serena? She's probably with Darien." Mina said with a sly wink.

Luna began to flush as she caught Mina's meaning but quickly regained her composure. "Okay, but why don't you girls come along to?" Luna suggested as she rose to her feet.

The girls all nodded in agreement and rose to their feet as well. And just as they were about to leave, Darien came into the room in a frantic state.

"Is Serena here?" He asked with a worried expression upon his usually calm face.

Rei came forward to answer him. "No, we were just on our way out to go find you because we thought she might be with you."

Darien nervously ran a hand through his black sleek hair. "She was with me," Darien said nervously. "But then she ran off and I thought she came here." He finished with a quizzical look on his face.

Luna made her way through the girl's legs and up to Darien. "Maybe she went home." Luna suggested.

Darien nodded and turned to the girls. "Do you girls know what's wrong with Serena lately by any chance?" He asked a little nervously.

The girls shook their heads and Luna seemed curious about Darien's strange behavior. "No," Luna replied eyeing Darien suspiciously.

Darien became uneasy but then decided to tell them what happened between them. "Because she seems like she's in a bad mood. She was pretty ticked at me when I saw her, so maybe you girls could talk to her for me."

Amy came forward and placed a comforting hand upon Darien's shoulder to ease his worries. "Of course we'll talk to her, as soon as we find her." Amy said with a reassuring smile.

Darien brightened and smiled. "Thanks, I better get going then." Darien said as he left, the girls left soon after.

* * *

Soon the girls reached Serena's house and Amy knocked on the front door. After a few minutes Serena's mother opened the door with a cheerful smile upon her face. "Oh, my, my, now if it isn't Amy. Oh, and all of the others came as well, how delightful. Have you come to see Serena?" She asked politely as she placed a hand upon her cheek.

Amy returned Serena's mother's smile and nodded. "Well, yes, Mrs. Tsukino. Is it okay if we talk to her?" Amy asked kindly.

Mrs. Tsukino placed her hands upon her hips. "Well, I don't see why you can't, come on in, dear." She said happily inviting the girls inside.

Amy inclined her head. "Thank you, Mrs. Tsukino." She said as she led the girls inside.

Serena's mother hummed cheerfully as she led the girls to Serena's room. "Well, this is Serena's room, now if you'll excuse me; I have dishes that need washing." And with that she hurried downstairs and into the kitchen.

Amy gently knocked upon the door. There was a momentary silence before they heard Serena shuffling around in her room. And the muffled sound of her voice as she answered. "Who is it?"

Amy seemed relieved that Serena sounded fine. "It's me, Amy and the girls. We need to talk." Amy said as she waited for Serena to respond but Serena did not reply.

Out of patience, Rei pushed her way to Serena's door and turned the knob. When she opened it they saw Serena sitting on the floor by a little table and she was sitting with her back to them. The girls all walked into the room and noticed that the only thing between them and Serena was the little table. The girls all sat on the side opposite of Serena and waited.

Amy decided to break the silence. "Serena, you were suppose to meet us at Rei's place remember?" Amy gently prodded.

Serena did not answer. She sat perfectly still and would not face them.

Uneasy by the silence, Lita decided to try to talk to Serena. "Did you forget to come, Serena?" Lita asked.

There was still no answer from Serena. The silence made all the girls uneasy.

Agitated, Rei rose to her feet, walked right in front of Serena and placed her hands upon her hips in a menacing fashion. "What's with you, Serena?" Rei said angrily; her eyes spitting sparks.

Mina decided to cut in. "Is there a problem, Serena?"

But Serena remained as silent and as still as before.

This mounted Rei's anger and she was becoming infuriated with Serena's behavior. She leaned forward and placed her hands upon Serena's shoulders and gently shook her. "Serena, do you hear me? What's your problem?!" Rei exclaimed.

Serena's eyes flashed at Rei revealing infinite anger and malice. Serena shot to her feet out of temper and patience. "Do you really want to know that badly, Rei?!" Serena exclaimed.

Rei's anger was slowly cooling. But Serena's behavior still bothered her. "Yeah, I do want to know!" Rei replied meeting Serena's anger filled eyes.

Serena's eyes flashed dangerously as she took a deep breath. "Well, Rei," Serena said in a dangerously quiet tone. Serena turned to them all and her voice rose in an angry roar. "You're my problem! There, I told you, satisfied?!" Serena cried angrily. Then Serena walked to her window on the other side of the room to distance herself from them and stood there with her arms across her chest looking out at the street as a distraction.

Amy decided to try to find out why she was upset with Darien. "Serena, what did you tell Darien that made him so upset?" Amy asked gently.

Serena slightly turned their way and spoke over her shoulder rudely. "I told him that he and I are no longer together. There, are you all happy now? Now you all know how I really feel."

Upset and hurt by Serena's words Rei walked over to the girls. "Come on, guys. We know when we're not wanted." She said as she led the girls out of Serena's room with heavy hearts.

As soon as the door shut behind them Serena sat on her bed and cried uncontrollably. "I'm so sorry, guys." She sobbed. "But it was for your own good." She sniffed and tried to wipe her tears away. "I won't put you in any danger...Even if it means I have to be alone...As long as I know you are all safe."

Then Serena laid her trembling body upon her bed and slowly cried herself to sleep.

* * *

Just then Lord Akio returned to Tokyo in the guise of a young high school senior. He wore a white long-sleeved, collared shirt leaving the top two buttons un-buttoned to reveal a little of his manly chest with a pair of black slacks followed by a pair of black dress shoes, his hair sleeked back to appear more youthful. He walked the streets of Tokyo and observed how couples acted in public. They held hands, spoke endearments to one another, embraced, and occasionally shared a kiss. This all seemed like things he could do openly to win Serena's heart and he smiled mischievously to himself. "This will be no problem at all. Humans are so foolish." He said arrogantly as he ran a hand through his hair.

* * *

Soon Serena awakened from her troubled sleep and decided to take a walk. She dressed into a light green polo shirt with a buttoned breast pocket and a long sleeved light blue jean jacket accompanied with a long off-white skirt. She tied off-white ribbons onto her buns that matched her skirt. She fought down her sorrow as she thought of how many times she had worn this out-fit to hang out with the girls and Darien.

She stealthily avoided her mother, brother and father as she left the house. She avoided going past the arcade lest one of the girls or even Darien should be there. The only other place she could think to go was the park, but then one of them might be there too. There was no where for her to go without being reminded of her time with the scouts or Darien.

As she wandered around she accidentally bumped into Lord Akio as he was on his way to her house. "Oh, I'm very sorry, sir." She apologized.

Lord Akio was surprised to see that it was her but masked his face with a friendly smile. "No, it was my fault. Wow," Lord Akio said looking Serena over with consideration.

Serena looked at him with open curiosity. "What? What is it?" She asked.

"Oh, it's nothing; it's just that you're the most beautiful thing I've ever laid eyes on. I don't mean to be so forward, but I haven't seen such a lovely young lady." He said with a smile.

Serena had the courtesy to blush and cast her eyes down to her feet. "You-you think so?" She asked glancing up at him.

Lord Akio knew it was working. "Of course, you mean to tell me that no one has ever told you how beautiful you are?" Akio said faking surprise into his tone.

Serena's expression changed and she seemed suddenly sad. "Well, someone has, but..." Her voice trailed off as she thought of Darien.

Akio's face grew stern and solemn as he guessed where her thoughts were. "Oh, you already have a boyfriend, I understand." He said as he began to turn away.

Serena reached out for his sleeve not wanting him to go, but she didn't even know this man so let her hand fall to her side. "Wait. No, I don't but I used to." She said fumbling for the right words, not wanting this new acquaintance of hers to leave just yet.

Akio smiled wickedly inside as Serena fell for his tricks. He turned with a big friendly smile on his face. "Oh, then will you accept me as a candidate to be your new boyfriend?" He asked taking her hand into his own.

Serena blushed uncontrollably and stammered. "I, well, uhm, you see,"

Akio remembered that she didn't know his name. He placed a hand on the back of his head and rubbed it trying to appear embarassed. A gesture so like Darien's that she was almost brought to tears. "How stupid of me, my name is...Danny, and yours?" He asked.

Serena shook her head and returned to reality. "My-my name?" She stammered. "It's-my name is Serena."

Akio's eyes widened momentarily. "Wow, Serena..." He said her name slowly and with feeling. "You have a cute name, it suits you." He said with a wink.

Serena's blush deepened. She looked up at his eyes and was painfully reminded of Darien once more. Why did this guy like her so much? It didn't really matter. At least he was someone that she could spend time with.

Akio smiled as he knew Serena was falling for him. "Now that we are properly acquainted, will you consider being my girlfriend? I know this must be sudden, but I really want to get to know you and I just can't let such an obviously lovely woman, as yourself be without a companion. I promise you, Serena, that I will always be there for you and I will always treat you like the princess that you really are."

Serena found it difficult to resist his gracious offer and since she couldn't be with Darien she could at least watch him from afar and use Danny as her excuse to avoid him. She looked up into Akio's eyes and smiled shyly. "Yes, I accept." Serena acquiesed.

Akio's eyes lit up with joy and triumph. "Great, you won't regret this; I'll treat you like a princess." Akio said holding Serena's hands against his bulky chest.

Serena smiled and pulled her hands out of Akio's grip. "I'm sure it'll be just great, Danny." She was beginning to wonder if she had made the right choice to jump into another relationship so soon.

Akio smiled. _Oh, this will be loads of fun, but not for you, my dear, it will be fun only for me... I'll make you and that precious power of yours mine, heh, heh, heh._ Akio thought wickedly. "Okay then Serena, I'll see you tomorrow. We'll meet right here, same time, all right?"

Serena nodded. If he was really serious about this, then she would do her best to use this as an opportunity to get over what she lost. "Okay Danny, I'll be here waiting for you." She said happily.

Akio turned to leave but then faced Serena again. "Bye Serena, I can't wait to see you again."

Serena waved as she turned to leave as well. "Yeah, me neither. Bye." Then Serena walked away.

Lord Akio watched silently as she slowly disappeared into the distance. He smiled wickedly and teleported back to his lair. Once he was there his body returned to normal and his attire had also changed back to their original state. "Yes, now I only have to play the part and win her trust, heart and love then her power and life will belong to me!" Akio said triumphantly then he laughed maniacally and it echoed eerily throughout the demon world.

* * *

Well, that was a pretty long chapter, but it was worth it for you guys. I hoped you liked it, please read and review and let me know what you think about it. Good? Bad? Weird? Anything is fine. Well, until next time. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon, I'm not that brilliant.**

* * *

Well guys, I know it's been like _forever_ since I've updated this, but when I started it, I was on a roll and had so many ideas, but as I progressed, I lost that spark of inspiration, sorry... ' I barely managed to come up with this, so forgive me because it's so short. I really have been trying, though. Well, let me know what you think about it, hope you enjoy!

* * *

Meanwhile back in Tokyo Serena reached her house and raced straight into her room and jumped onto her bed. She grabbed her pillow and hugged it closely to her chest and sighed. _Whoa...I can't believe what just happened. Danny is my new boyfriend. _The realization of it all hit her like a ton of bricks.

She shut her eyes tightly against the tears that threatened to flow. _How could I do this?! But he reminded me so much of Darien, and I don't know how I was able to tell Darien and the girls such terrible things! I really don't deserve them and now I'll never have them again. Now all I can do is watch them and hope they forget about me. I can't stand hurting them; it hurts me to force myself to say things to them that are not true. It's so unfair to treat them this way, but I must! I have no other choice..._ Then the tears that she had tried so hard to hold back had come unbidden and poured freely unchecked. She sobbed and buried her face into her pillow and slowly cried herself to sleep.

* * *

The next morning Serena woke up bright and early, got dressed into school uniform and did her best to sneak past Luna to go downstairs and eat breakfast. After she had finished eating, she stealthily crept out of the house to meet Danny. Everything seemed so unreal to her, but she had no choice but to make due with this new lifestyle that she had chosen to lead.

* * *

Meanwhile, Rei, Amy, Lita, and Mina sat around Rei's tea table thinking about what had happened the previous day. How could things have ended up like that? It was so unbelieveable, as if things were just spiraling out of control, and that thought was quite frightening. "Maybe we were too hard on Serena yesterday," Amy suggested. "After all, she might have just been having a bad day and was in a bad mood." They all began to feel a little guilty. 

"Yeah, I don't think she meant what she said." Mina agreed hoping against hope that that was the reason.

"Maybe we should go and see how she's doing." Lita suggested knowing that perhaps, Serena was on a major guilt trip and probably needed them to forgive her, for her rash behavior.

They all agreed and left to find Darien so he could help find Serena and straighten out any misunderstandings that might have been between them. They also left not knowing that they were all in for the shock of their lives.

* * *

Meanwhile, Serena had reached the point where her and Danny were supposed to rendezvous. She smiled nervously as she spotted him waiting for her. It was a little cute to see him standing there expecting her to arrive, just as Darien used to do whenever they agreed to meet somewhere, but sadly those times were over and she needed to get a grip. 

Soon he caught sight of her and put on a big smile as he waved her over. "Serena, I missed you. I know, let's go for a walk in the park. What do you say?"

Serena wanted to protest but knew that she had to face her fears sooner or later. She shrugged her shoulders lightly and nodded. "Okay," She replied gingerly.

Soon after that they reached the park together. Serena walked closely to Danny while Danny draped his arm across her shoulders. Serena felt a little uncomfortable at how close Danny was getting and how fast he was moving in this new relationship, but in a sense, she needed to someone to hold her and assure her that everything was alright. It might have been a bit awkward to let him be so forward, but she really had no one else to turn to in this situation, and he was offering her that closeness she needed so desperately. Perhaps, making the decision to move on so quickly was just what she needed, though she still felt very guilty about how things were going, it just didn't seem fair at all, but these days what was?

Danny seemed to be rapt by the scenery of the park and held Serena tightly against him. "I know, let's go rent a boat and take a ride on the lake that seems like fun, right?" He asked happily.

Serena knew that Danny was only trying to be nice, but she remembered of Darien and the times he had ridden with her on the lake. It practically brought tears to her eyes as her heart cried out in agony. "That sounds like fun…but could you get me a drink first, please Danny?" She asked softly.

Akio was so engrossed with himself he did not hear the tone of her voice and or see that there were tears forming in her eyes. He merely smiled as he glanced her way. "Anything, Serena," He said then he quickly walked off in search of a place to purchase some drinks. As far as he was concerned, everything was going great, and all he needed was to keep her satisfied long enough to get her where he wanted her, so she would be vulnerable.

As soon as he was gone Serena let some of her tears fall then quickly dashed them away from her face with the backs of her hands. There was no way she was going to break down and show her weakness. She needed to be strong and not let anyone know the fears she had. Danny is a nice guy and she didn't need him to be concerned over her, especially since she wasn't worth his kindness.

* * *

Just then Rei, Amy, Mina, Lita, and Darien were walking by the park when Amy saw Serena standing alone in the park wiping her eyes. "Is that Serena?" Amy pointed towards her.

They all looked and quickly spotted her. "Yeah, that is her." Rei exclaimed.

"What would she be doing in the park?" Mina mused.

Lita looked around and didn't see anyone with her. "She couldn't be here by herself, could she?" Lita wondered aloud.

"I don't know why she's here or what's going on, but we should go and find out." Darien said as he led the girls towards the park to talk with Serena.

Soon they were close enough to call out to her. "Serena," Darien called as he waved so she could see him.

Serena quickly turned to see Darien and the girls headed straight for her. "Wha, what are all of you doing here?!" Serena asked with a sense of shock.

Amy stepped forward from the group. "We're all sorry, we didn't realize that you were in a bad mood yesterday and we just all came here to apologize." Amy explained calmly.

Serena cast her eyes to the ground and couldn't meet their eyes lest she provoke more tears to form. "No, that's not it." She said steadily.

Then Darien stepped forward from the group with a quizzical look on his face. "Then what? If that's not the reason then why, Serena?" Darien asked sternly.

Serena sighed heavily but kept her emotions in check. "Just what I said. Yesterday I meant every word. I wasn't in a bad mood. I just need some time to myself for a while, that's all." Serena said.

Then just before anyone could speak, Danny arrived with the drinks. He looked at everyone happily yet with minute confusion. "Here's your drink, Serena. Hey, are these your friends?"

Darien and the girls looked at each other with confused expressions and then back at Serena and the strange guy standing behind her.

Darien looked at the guy scrupulously and skeptically. "Who is this, Serena?" He asked cautiously.

Danny looked at everyone with a smile though his expression was somewhat confused. "Hmm…She didn't tell you?" He asked casually. Then he turned to Serena. "You didn't tell your friends about me yet? I thought you did."

Serena was sweating under the pressure of the situation but remained calm. "No, I didn't get around to telling them yet." Serena explained.

Rei became impatient and couldn't stand Serena giving them the run around. "Stop stalling and tell us who he is." Rei demanded.

Serena turned to Rei and the others with contempt plainly stamped upon her face. "He's my new friend, Rei." She replied tartly and quickly turned away from them and back to Danny. Her features softened as she looked at him. "Now that you got the drinks, let's go, Danny."

Danny didn't seem to have a problem with Serena's swift departure from her friends as he smiled and indulged her. "Okay, let's go then." Then Danny narrowed his eyes sure no one could see him as he sneakily put his arm around Serena's shoulders as he led her away.

Darien and the girls were still somewhat confused as they watched the two walk away. They decided to bide their time and wait to catch Danny alone since Serena wouldn't-or rather she refused to provide any answers for them.

* * *

Well, that's it for now, guys, I hope you liked it, or maybe not, let me know in your review, ok? I'm really at a loss here, I don't know what's up with me lately, i must have a writer's block or something. Comments and suggestions would be greatly appreciated. ' 


	8. Chapter 8

Hey readers I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've finally got around to it again and I must confess I nearly forgot about it during all this time. This is a short chapter, but I'll try to get another one up sometime soon. Thanks for being patient!

* * *

Chapter 8

Serena fought the urge to look back as she clung to Danny's arm tighter. This whole situation was tearing her apart but the reassuring twinkle from her bracelet eased her anxiety slightly. She knew that somehow this was all for the best. All she had to do was drown her sorrows in Danny's company.

Lord Akio felt a boost in confidence as he felt Serena cling to his arm tighter as they left her loved ones behind. He smirked inwardly as he felt his plans go into motion. _Yes, this is perfect. I haven't even begun to use my guile and all is going according to plan. This foolish girl may indeed prove to be my perfect tool in exacting my long awaited revenge…_ He straightened his back and tried to pull Serena just a bit closer for her friends to see sending his signal that he wasn't going anywhere.

* * *

Darien did not let this little gesture go unnoticed as he clenched his fists tightly and grunted in anger. The girls also noticed this and couldn't believe the way Serena had seemed to change over night. This seemed to be a darker and colder side of Serena that no one had been prepared for.

"I don't trust this new 'friend' of Serena's," Lita stated as she crossed her arms.

"I know how you feel, I don't get how this guy just comes out of nowhere and thinks he can butt his way into Serena's life." Mina agreed.

"The real problem here is Serena's distant attitude, if she's going to try and push us away, fine. But why is she mixing herself up with this guy she doesn't even know." Rei fumed.

Amy decided this was her chance to speak. "Well now, we don't exactly know whether this new acquaintance in Serena's life is a stranger yet, she may in fact know him very well and it is us that remained unknowing of his presence…or you could be right, in either case we have no way of knowing since Serena has seemed to cut off all meaningful communication as of late."

Darien clenched his jaw and tried to suppress the mounting urge to beat the information he desperately wanted to know out of this 'Danny' character. Even the thought of him being anywhere near his precious Serena while he's being shut out clawed at his senses. It was all such a big mistake and he wanted nothing more than to wake up from this nightmare and see Serena's sleeping form next to him oblivious to the dark thoughts in his mind. He longed for nothing more than to scoop her tender form into his arms and revel in her warmth. To hear the sound of her heartbeat against his chest letting him know she was his and only his.

"It doesn't matter whether she knows him or not. He's getting way too close to her and we're going to get to the bottom of this. Just because Serena has chosen to shut us out, doesn't mean we've stopped caring for her and I'm going to do everything in my power to protect her regardless of what she wants." Darien stated matter-of-factly.

The girls seemed emboldened by his statement and nodded in agreement as they watched the two walk out of sight. It would be easy to find Serena but the hard part would be getting her alone since this new 'friend' of hers didn't seem to be deterred by their presence.

* * *

After walking together with Danny, Serena couldn't shake the feeling of being depressed and thought she might just go home and be alone for a while. She stopped Danny by tugging on his shirt sleeve to get his attention.

Upon feeling Serena tug in his shirt, Akio turned his attention to her. "Yes, Serena? Is there something on your mind?" He asked.

Serena had her eyes on the ground and shuffled her feet for a minute before answering. "Actually, I'd really like to go home now. I'm feeling a bit tired."

Akio turned to Serena and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I really hope it wasn't anything I did to make you want to go home so soon." He said with mock sincerity.

Serena lifted her gaze to meet his and tried to fake a smile. "Oh no, it's not anything like that, I just really feel tired and think it would be better to go home and get some rest." She assured him.

Akio grimaced inwardly. He needed to be around this fickle female longer in order to gain her trust. It just wouldn't do for her to have doubts and run back to her loved ones setting him back to square one. "Well, I won't keep you out, if that's the case. I just enjoy spending time with you and don't like the idea of wasting a minute if it can be helped." He felt this to be an appropriate response as he saw her features soften.

Serena felt touched by his kind words since it had been a while since she had heard Darien's heavenly voice utter loving sentiments in such a kind manner. She almost felt compelled to stay with Danny a while longer, but he was not her Darien and he couldn't banish the depression that was beginning to settle over her once more at the thought of her lost love. "That's really sweet of you Danny, and I'm sorry I can't spend more time with you today."

Akio could almost envision Serena's trust in him growing stronger. "It's ok, really. I wouldn't want to be the cause of such a lovely lady such as yourself not getting enough beauty sleep. But since you are going home let me walk you there." He offered.

Serena felt her guard slipping and just needed to be away from Danny before she let hr emotions get the best of her. "No, that's ok. I'm fine just walking by myself it's not that far anyway."

Akio searched her eyes a moment more before relenting. He didn't want to push his luck with her after making so much progress. "If you say so, Serena, I'll let you be on your way. But I'd like to see you again tomorrow, if that's alright with you."

Serena blushed slightly. It seemed he was really eager to spend time with her and the notion made her feel wanted. "Well, ok, I guess we can meet at the same place at the same time."

Akio smiled charmingly and took her delicate hand in his and proceeded to kiss it gently. "It's a date then. I'll see you tomorrow." With that show of affection he continued on his way.

Serena was stunned to say the least and was in a stupor as she watched him leave. She snapped out of her trance before he was out of sight and proceeded to hurry home trying to get her mind and emotions in check.


	9. Chapter 9

Wow didn't think I'd get another chapter up so soon. Even though it's another fairly short chapter, it's better than nothing. I had a slight burst of inspiration and needed to get it written before I lost it. I really hope you will all read and review. It's great to get a little feedback from the readers. Well enough rambling on, here's the next chapter. Enjoy!

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Chapter 9

Serena was thankful that her mother wasn't around when she ran into her house and up to her room. She quickly shut the door and threw herself onto her bed and hugged the nearest pillow to her chest. After taking a deep breath she sat up and looked around her room. It was a good thing that Luna wasn't home; otherwise she would have to once again put on an act to push her away for trying to be concerned for her.

"I don't know how long I can keep this up…" Serena said sadly hugging the pillow tighter. "I don't want anything to happen to them but hurting them is tearing me apart."

She looked to her night stand and saw a picture of happier times with her and Darien holding each other under the sun, smiling lovingly. She could almost remember that exact day and how happy she was to be with him. She felt so safe and warm in his arms and now that was being taken away from her. She sighed and let her eyes linger over Darien's face and how she longed to him smile at her. _It all ended so quickly, I just can't believe how things turned out so wrong. We were all so happy and then my friends started to act differently towards me. I thought they would all be happy if I started to change for the better, after all it was all the things they nagged me about. I was actually early to our meetings, getting good grades, and making a few more friends. Darien was starting to be proud of me, and then…then…_ Her eyes drifted to her right arm. The bracelet twinkled in response to her attention. _Then those strange men just came out of nowhere and things got worse. The dream…more like a nightmare. And then my bracelet-wait my bracelet._

Serena held up her arm and looked intently at her shinning bracelet. "It talked to me before, but then again it could have been just my imagination. I was a little stressed that day. Could everything I've done to push away my friends been for nothing?" She turned her wrist to find the catch to the bracelet and was a bit baffled to find there was none.

She brought up her left hand and began to feel along the band to find any way of removing it. After a few minutes of searching she began to feel the slight edge of panic and began to tug on the bracelet in hopes it might just slide off her arm with enough force. But to no avail it wouldn't come off.

* * *

Meanwhile back into the deep dark caverns of the Earth, Lord Akio felt his senses tingle. Something was amiss, and it had to do with his precious bracelet. He quickly teleported to the outside of Serena's window and peered inside only to see the girl frantically trying to pry the bracelet off her arm. He cursed under his breath this wasn't something he had prepared for. He never thought she might suspect his bracelet as the cause of all her problems; after all it was crafted to be an item that attracted the least suspicion. He knew things wouldn't go well, if she panicked and ran back to her friends for assistance. He once more tapped into the bracelet's power and attempted to communicate with her.

* * *

Serena was starting to reach a conclusion that maybe this bracelet was the true source of all her problems and needed to rid herself of it once and for all. She knew her efforts weren't getting her anywhere, maybe she could find a tool in her father's tool box that could help her pry it off or something. Just as she was about to leave her room to sneak into the garage her bracelet let off an eerie glow.

"_Serena, do not be afraid. I am only here to ensure your safety and keep you on the right path."_

Serena was surprised to hear her bracelet speak to her for the second time in what seemed like ages. "How do I know you're telling me the truth? So many negative things have come about since I saw you at the amulet shop. I never wanted any of this I just want you to leave me alone so I can get my life back."

"_I understand your sorrows, but I am only here to prevent you from making the mistake of losing all you know and love forever. This trial that has come upon you will make you stronger and you will see that only I can bring you this power."_

Serena shook her head as tears fell from her eyes. "I don't want power; I don't anything but my friends! I don't care about being stronger, that's not what matters to me the most."

"_Power is the only thing can save you and your loved ones from an untimely end. Would you be so selfish as to give up their lives to ease your own loneliness?"_

Serena felt her resolve weakening, could she really take a chance and just ignore these warnings knowing that her friend's lives were on the line if she was wrong? Could she really be that selfish?

Lord Akio knew he had struck a chord with her. Foolish humans, especially human females were so gullible when it came to their emotions. He knew she wouldn't last very long; already she was beginning to doubt her own instincts in favor of his parlor tricks. Perhaps this would be easier than he had surmised.

"_Would you really forsake the greater good for a mere moment of self satisfaction? You may not grasp the severity of this situation, but the future is not something to take lightly, my dear."_

She once again began to doubt herself; this was the future she was dealing with. She needed to make the right choice or it would be all her fault for daring to go against fate. "I don't know…I just don't know what to do anymore! Nothing seems right, and either way I'm losing everything I love. Isn't there another way?"

_"I'm afraid not. Fate has determined that you will heed my warning or be doomed to a life of perpetual loneliness. Which will it be? Temporary happiness with your loved ones only to end in their deaths, or suffer through this trial and gain the ultimate power that was meant for you and you alone?"_

Serena bit her bottom lip trying to piece together both choices. The hands of fate had not been kind to her, but then again when was fate ever on her side? Could she really trust in this trinket on her wrist if only to save to the ones she loved? It seemed there was really no other choice. How could she gamble on the lives of the ones she loved to fulfill her own needs? If this was what fate had planned out for her, then she wouldn't give in and lose everything. She would continue on this path of segregation and push away her loved ones to save them from the demise that fate had in store for them. "I don't know what else I can do…I will stay away from them and protect them from fate."

_"Good girl, it is for the best after all. And you will not be alone. I will remain by your side and guide you to the path that will unleash your hidden potential. You will bear the ultimate power and bring the world a new beginning."_ A beginning that heralded Lord Akio the supreme ruler of all worlds.

Serena sighed as another wave of tears began to take hold of her. Fate was cruel indeed. She fell back onto her bed letting the cushion of the mattress take the burden of her weight. She felt mentally exhausted and was in dire need of rest. As sad thoughts revolved in her mind, she let slumber slowly take her to a world of quiet darkness where her troubles would temporarily vanish in a void of complete silence.

Lord Akio let his mental connection slowly fade and turned his back from the sleeping form of the human girl. "This foolish girl is beginning to break and soon she will lose all her spirit. I just need a little more time to get her guard down and take control. Even now she has allowed the bracelet to begin the process of tapping into her power. This world will soon be mine." With that said he vanished back into the dark realms of the Earth.

* * *

Well, that's it for now, don't know when I'll get another chapter in, but I'll try to make it sooner than later. Please review!


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